Best donor vehicle for an LS swap?

To the critics...

In my opinion, an $8000 fantastic drivetrain dropped into a car that I have owned for over 20 years, built by ME in my garage, creating a car that would be worth over $50K is absolutely within the definition of "Grassroots".  
 

Why is that different than somebody buying a pre-engineered factory built Exocet chassis for $10K and doing NOTHING more than swapping parts from his Miata into it?

I like the idea, and will consider it. (Don't know if I will do it). STM317 was absolutely correct- he provided me with an excellent alternative choice I had not considered. 
 

Sorry if I'm somehow not grassroots enough for you. I guess 18 years worth of $2000 Challenge attendance and a small wall full of Challenge trophies isn't enough for you. 

 

Thank you STM317 for the positive and encouraging ideas. 

Please don't get my thread locked down with bad attitudes. I'm trying to learn something here. 

Man I just wanna see this elky finished now 

I read through this swa(m)p/train wreck and the suggestion to install a new crate motor is definitely the winner.  

The lack of frustration alone would be worth 2x the price, or having to deal with a few rusty studs on a manifold or a rusty oil pan - that will ruin the fun quick and make the bargain appear less than ideal.

If this was a swap for say a 78 truck where you could use a complete truck or van drop in, maybe a complete donor would make sense.   But it isn't, so it doesnt.  There is no one great solution, and the OK solutions (F body, GTO) have all dried up by now and cost real money.  

Or hell just put an Atlas in it.  That seems to be a super popular swap these days (hard eyeroll)

SV reX said:

Please don't get my thread locked down with bad attitudes. I'm trying to learn something here. 

There really are no bad starting points unless you are specifically looking to make big crazy turbo power.  The main benefit to choosing a starting point, as I see it, is to get something that is most swap-friendly.

'03 Raniers had the early heads and rods and a weird oil pan, so people overlook them, but they are still an easy 300hp from an aluminum block 5.3 and swap friendly oil pan setups are cheap enough.  Last time I looked you could get a complete dropout engine with harness and PCM for like $800.  Just sayin'.

4L60s are not the end of the world.  The 4L80 is a lot heavier, has a lot more parasitic drag, and has closer ratios, which is fine and good, but the 4L60 has a 3.0something 1st gear that it inherited from the 700-R4 which means you can get by with rearend gears in the low 3s or even high 2s and still have decent acceleration.  Combine that with the overdrive and you have a fine cruiser.

I have zero skin in this game, but a vehicle that you have had for 18 years and are going to swap a motor and transmission into sounds like something to keep for another 20. At that stage in life, I would rather be dealing with a 20 year old motor and tranny than a 40 year old motor and tranny. I like the idea of minty parts more than I thought I would.

In before Steve Jones starts a "can we have a civil discussion about LS donor vehicles" thread.

Oh, and just today I was looking at buying a part for my race car. A distributor blanking plug.

One was on eBay and was $18 after shipping. The other was from a well known but small vendor and was $28. The eBay one was crusty like it had just been pulled off the 45 year old block it originally came on. The vendor one was freshly bead blasted. 

Alternatively I could have bought a hunk of aluminum from a scrapyard and used the diagrams I found online along with the lathe I don't have to make the part myself, and maybe spend $10 in aluminum. 

I decided that $8 was worth 10 hours of my imaginary time and $10 was a fair price for having the part bead blasted. So sue me.

I dunno about all new stuff.  Sure, there are benefits, but if you use a donor vehicle, you have all the clips and bolts and wires, and they are all oem quality.  My LQ4 has 180,000 miles, and seems to run a treat.  I painted the block and valve covers Chevrolet orange and stuffed it in the hole.

The 4L80 had chunks in the pan, so I had it rebuilt.  Not horribly expensive, and there is a local converter rebuilder that put some slicker guts in it.

Oil pan...  I bought the GM pan that is supposed to be the shortest one.  F body, I think.  It seemed really inexpensive to me, but sadly, it hangs an inch or more below the crossmember, and that just looks like a free ticket to walking home after driving over a raised manhole.  There is an aftermarket one that's shorter, and I suppose I will buy it eventually... or I will have to buy it.

SV reX said:

.......

Id like to be able to use as much from the donor as possible... mounts, trans, intake, accessories, harness, etc. I'd like to make it as simple as possible (even if the donor cost me a bit more). 
 

If you were able to pick a donor for this car, what would it be?

From your original post.

Buying all new may be the route you eventually go with.

If it were me, I'd stick to your original plan.   Bye that cop car Caprice I posted, drive it as needed,  then pull EVERYTHING out of it and swap into your Elky.

How about a third option: use a website that searches salvage yards for the motor and transmission you want. I like to use car-part.com. The motor is already pulled, the price and mileage are stated. No donor hulk to deal with and cheaper than a brand new engine. 

In reply to Indy - Guy :

Actually, your cop car post made me realize another option...

I HAVE an LS swapped car. 4th gen 4.8L with a 6L90. I also have a T56. Complete running car. 400hp
 

If I'm gonna cut up a $5 or 6000 car, I could do it to the one I have.

Its an option. 
 

I haven't ignored your cop car idea, just used it for inspiration. 

SV reX said:

In reply to Indy - Guy :

Actually, your cop car post made me realize another option...

I HAVE an LS swapped car. 4th gen 4.8L with a 6L90. I also have a T56. Complete running car. 400hp
 

If I'm gonna cut up a $5 or 6000 car, I could do it to the one I have.

Its an option. 
 

I haven't ignored your cop car idea, just used it for inspiration. 

Dude, your answer has been under your nose the whole time lol.

Wait, what do you have?

I have an LS powered E28 that I bought through this forum a while back. 
 

Fantastic car.  Nice build.  Just doesn't fit in my life right now. 
 

My intent is to sell it soon, but life has been happening, and I haven't been able to market it. 
 

But yes. It's very posssible the answer has been right under my nose!

SV reX said:

I have an LS powered E28 that I bought through this forum a while back. 
 

Fantastic car.  Nice build.  Just doesn't fit in my life right now. 
 

My intent is to sell it soon, but life has been happening, and I haven't been able to market it. 
 

But yes. It's very posssible the answer has been right under my nose!

Oh yeah I remember that one! Forgot you ended up buying it. 

In reply to SV reX :

I'd be interested in the shell if its rust free! 

In reply to yupididit :

It's absolutely rust free

Cutting it up is a sacrilege, so there is a lot to think about. 
 

It's possible. Maybe. 
 

But for now, I will keep this thread going as is. 

Everyone always talking about THOTs (that hooptie over there) but rarely do we appreciate our THOHs (this hooptie over here)

In reply to maschinenbau :

So true!

STM317 said:

Don't the 6 speeds have their own TCM as well, while the 4 speeds are controlled by the ECM? And can't that make tuning a bit more expensive/difficult?

If you are transplanting a complete stock drivetrain and electronics package from one donor vehicle, it's not a problem. If you are using an aftermarket race ECU, it's a huge issue - lots of support for 4 speed units, maybe one controller out there for the six speed. I'm not up on the difference in tuning options for stock electronics.

In reply to SV reX :

4.8L < 6.0L

just sayin'

SV reX said:

In reply to yupididit :

It's absolutely rust free

Well keep me in mind if you ever want to let the shell/roller go. 

SV reX said:

If I'm gonna cut up a $5 or 6000 car, I could do it to the one I have.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!